Stringed musical instrument



- Sept. 18, 1928.

A. BOOTHE SIIRINGED mus 1 cm, INSTRUMENT Filed April 30,1925

Patented Sept. "18,1928. v

, ALBERT BOOTHE, or COLFAX, IOWA.

I s'rnmenn MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

gAppli cation filed Apri 30, 1923'. Serial No. 635,697.

This invention relates to musical instru ments, and hasspecial reference to a stringed instrument of the guitar and zither type, which I preferably term a sirelin.

5 One important object of the inventionis to i provide an instrument of the guitar or zithcr character with novel arrangement of strings,

bridges and. frets whereby a tone-may be created which somewhat resembles that of a Hawaiian guitar. r

A1 second important object of the invention is the production of a, novel forrn of musicalinstrument in which there is an improved arrangei'nent of strings which are sounded by plucking a 'idffretting, being em:

ployed for each set of strings.

The invention consists ingeneral of cer-' tain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically claimed; 1 Y

In the accompanying drawings like char acters o'f'reference indicate like parts in the several views, and:' f g i y i Fig. 1-is a fro'nt view of an instrument constructed in accordance with this'invention. y c

Fig. 2 .is a side View thereof.

Fig. 3 is a detail View of acomb'ined nut and fret for the long and short strings.

In the embodiment of the instrument herein disclosed, it will be seen that there is pro-' neck '12 being provided with the usual frets 15, and extending along this neck and over the body 10 are the strings 16. These strings pass over and bear upon abridge 17 adjacent the rounded endof the'instrurnent, and are 13 carrying the tuning pegs 14. The neck and head may be of the usual guitar type the.

use these strings are tuned in fifths, the notation of these strings from the bass to the treble side being E, B, Fit and Ci. At one side of the neck there is provided an auxiliary head 19 carrying the tuning pegs 20, and connected to these pegs are the three bass or accompaniment strings 21. from left to right are tuned as follows: E, G131).

It is to be noted that the tuning of-striugs E, G3? and B is in thirds. The combined nut and fret 24: has a portion over which strings 2l'pass, the portion with which thestrings 21 engage being of the same height as the height of the bridge 17 which extends entirely across the two sets of strings and constitutes a tail'bridge. The accompaniment strings may be played open and the treble or air strings played either open or by aid of the frets 15 vin the usual manner. While the instrument may be used in this way, spe cial provision is made for utilizing the instrurnent inan entirely different manner. To this end across the body 10 beneath the two sets of strings, and in spaced relation to the tail bridge 17, there is provided a long fret 22. Beneath the strings 21 between the long'fret 22 and the tailbrid-ge 17 is arranged a series of auxiliary frets 23 and this-series 1s also carried up the body a short distance These strings above the long fret 22, as can be clearly seen in Fig. 1. The frets 23 are so placed that when a string is moved against one of these frets by pressing the string downward with,

the fingers between the particular fret in (lllQStlOIL andthe next fret toward the tail bridge 17. the string between the selected fret tween the long fret 22 and the tail bridge 17.

simultaneously produces a note, the tone of which is regulated by proper fretting on the neck12. e i v It is to be understood that tones on this instrument are preferably produced by fretting and plucking ofthe strings and that. while the effect may be varied at times by plucking the strings with picks, the principal purpose of the arrangement is to enable selected tones to be producedby fretting and plucking in the usual manner. Under these circum-v stances, it will be noted that one of the strings 16 may be moved downward and held, and so long as it is thus held the portion of such string between the long fret 22 and thepoint at which it is fretted on the neck will vibrate, and will continue to vibrate until it slowly comes to rest. Meanwhile, one or more of the strings 21 may be fretted at different positions since the linger may be slid along the string 16 during the plucking of the strings 21 without changing the tone.

It will also be noted that by holding the strings downward at the nodal points, clear harmonics are produced, and that impressions may be given to the music played on this instrument by the varying degrees of force with which the strings are plucked, and by varying the pressure of the strings with the frets.

There has thus been provided a simple and etiicient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, therefore, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

The construction of the instrument provides an end bridge 17 for all the strings and the strings l6 overlie the long fret 22, which is an extension of one of the frets for the strings 21. The bridge Ql for the strings 21 being reduced in height serves as one of the series of frets 15 for the strings 16.

T he instrument hereinbefore described can be played after the manner of a Hawaiian guitar or banjo ukulele. In playing, both hands are used. the instrument being held in the lap, or, ii desirable, it may be placed upon a stand or table.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

l. A, stringed musical instrument of the guitar type comprising a body, a neck having a head, the neck being attached to and extending from the end of the body and to one side of the longitudinal center thereof, an auxiliary head which extends laterally from the neck to a point beyond the longitudinal center of the body, pegs for connecting strings to the heads and to the body of the instrument, a series of frets carried by the neck and body over which strings attached to the head on the n ck pass, a series of frets attached to the bodyover which strings attached to. the

auxiliary head pass, a tail bridge common to both sets of frets, a fret constituting one of the series for the strings which extend from the auxiliary head, said fret underlying the strings which overlie the neck, and a combined bridge and fret located adjacent to the auxiliary head and extending to constitute one of the series of the frets for the strings which engage the head on the neck.

2. A stringed musical instrument comprising a bodyof the guitar type, the belly havingtherethrough a transversely elongated sound opening which is located centrally and to one side of the transverse center of the belly, a fretted neck located to one side of the'lon itudinal center of the body, an auxiliary head attached to the body and extending laterally from the neck, a series of frets attached to the belly between the sound openstrings which overlie the frets between the sound opening and the tail portion of the body attached to the belly, a set of strings which overlie tae body and the fret of the neck, and a tail bridge common to both sets of strings.

3. A stringed musical instrument comprising a resonant body having to one side of its longitudinal center a neck and head and on the opposite side of its longitudinal center a head which is attached to the neck and body, pegs carried by the respective heads, a sound opening through the belly of the body of such area as to extend beyond parallel sets of strings carried by the pegs which engage the heads and the tail end of the body, frets carried by the neck, a series of frets attached to the belly of the body between the tail end of the body and the sound opening, and a tail bridge which is common to the parallel sets of strings.

4. A stringed musical instrument of the character shown comprising a resonant body provided with a fretted neck and a head, a laterally extending head attached to the body, the belly of the body having a sound opening therethrough of such area as to be overlain by strings attached to the respective heads and the end of the body, a series of frets attached to the body between the sound opening and the tail end of the body, a bridge for all of the strings attached to the body adjacent to the tail end thereof, and a single fret which underlies both sets of strings.

ALBERT BOOTHE.

mg and the tail portion of the body, a set of 

